Queen description.- Head: Head oval; vertex weakly concave or planar; frons shining and smooth except for piliferous pits; pilosity of frons a mixture of incurved, semi-erect setae and slightly shorter decumbent setae; Eye elliptical, curvature of inner eye margin may be more pronounced than that of its outer margin; (in full-face view) eyes set below midpoint of head capsule; (viewed in profile) eyes set posteriad of midline of head capsule;

Petiole and postpetiole: Petiolar spiracle lateral and situated within anterior sector of petiolar node; node (viewed in profile) conical, vertex rounded; appearance of node shining and smooth; ratio of greatest node breadth (viewed from front) to greatest node width (viewed in profile) between 4:3 and 1:1; anteroventral petiolar process absent or vestigial; height ratio of petiole to postpetiole between 4:3 and 1:1; height-length ratio of postpetiole between 3:2 and 4:3; postpetiole shining and smooth; postpetiolar sternite not depressed, its anterior end an inconspicuous lip or small carina.

Gaster: Pilosity of first gastral tergite consisting of a mixture of incurved, erect and semi-erect setae and slightly shorter decumbent setae.

Remarks.- Despite a resemblance to workers from some populations of M. termitobiumHNS, M. chnodesHNS has several distinct features that place it apart from other small Malagasy MonomoriumHNS in the M. monomoriumHNS group. The shape of the mandible tends towards linear-triangular, not unlike that seen in the M. hanneliHNS species group, and the dentition consists of four, occasionally five teeth or denticles of approximately equal size. The spiracle of the propodeum is large, as is that of the petiole, and the body and head are covered in abundant, downy setae. Nonetheless, molecular indicators place M. chnodesHNS right within populations of what are here regarded as termitobiumHNS, and also close to M. platynodisHNS. Monomorium chnodesHNS has a restricted distribution in the Ambinanitelo region in Toamasina Province where workers and queens have been taken in sifted litter, from rotten logs and in pitfall traps in montane rainforest. This species also appears to have an association with the plant family Melistomataceae, which could be worthy of research.

Specimen Habitat Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 37 times found in rainforest, 10 times found in montane rainforest, 1 times found in savannah grassland, 1 times found in Uapaca woodland, 1 times found in tropical dry forest.

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